This paper summarizes research undertaken as part of the Bureau's ongoing effort to
improve the quality of its surveys. The DW/JT/OM supplement provides data on several
issues that have been the focus of much research in recent years, including job loss due
to structural change in the economy and the extent of employment instability. Three survey
evaluation methods were used in conducting this research: behavior coding, interviewer
debriefing using a focus-group format, and respondent debriefing using follow-up probe
questions. As with any survey attempting to measure complex labor market phenomena, the
quality of the information obtained from the DW/JT/OM supplement depends on clear
definitions of the concepts to be measured and well-designed survey questions. The
original goal of the quality assessment research was to examine the quality of the survey
questions. What became apparent early in the evaluation process, however, was that there
were many unresolved issues with the concepts being measured. To resolve these conceptual
issues, a multiphase research plan is proposed for evaluating and possibly redesigning the
DW/JT/OM supplement.